Man who disrupted Rosh Hashanah service now among 4 accused of disrupting Christmas Eve service

The man who disrupted a Rosh Hashanah service in Brighton earlier this year now is accused, along with three other people, of disrupting a Christmas Eve service at a church in Seneca County.

According to the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, four people — including Christopher A. Avila, 31, of Farmington, who had been charged in the Rosh Hashanah disruption — entered a church on Ernsberger Road in the town of Varick at about 5:58 p.m. Christmas Eve and disrupted the service, making negative comments about Christianity.

The four — Avila; Jeremy S. Mathias of Fulks Run, Virginia; Daniel J. Watson of Rochester; and Nathan J. Jackson of Rochester — were taken into custody at about 6:51 p.m. without incident and were charged with disruption of religious service, sixth-degree conspiracy and trespass. They were released on tickets to appear later in Varick town Court.

Avila had been charged with disrupting a religious service, a misdemeanor, for entering Temple B’rith Kodesh in Brighton during services Sept. 15, the first night of Rosh Hashanah, and interrupting the service as soon as it began, Brighton Police said. Many congregants ran out the door.

Avila later told News10NBC that he “didn’t come to terrorize anyone” but that he believed God directed his actions.